Amanda Bynes
Amanda Laura Bynes (born April 3, 1986) is an American actress, singer, and fashion designer. Bynes appeared in several successful television series, such as All That and The Amanda Show, on Nickelodeon in the mid to late 1990s and early 2000s, and in 2002, she starred in the TV series, What I Like About You. She transitioned to a film career, starring in several films aimed at teenage audiences, including What a Girl Wants (2003), Love Wrecked (2005), She’s the Man (2006), Hairspray (2007), Sydney White (2007) and Easy A (2010). She was named one of Teen People’s “25 Hottest Stars Under 25” in 2006, and in 2007, Forbes listed her as the fifth highest paid celebrity under 21, with earnings of $2.5 million.
Bynes was born and raised in Thousand Oaks, California, the youngest of three children of Lynn , a dental assistant and office manager, and Rick Bynes, a dentist who also practiced stand-up comedy. Bynes has two older siblings, Tommy (born 1973), a chiropractor, and Jillian (born 1983), who has a B.A. in History from UCLA and has also acted. Bynes’ ancestors immigrated from Ireland, Poland, Russia, and Romania, and her maternal grandparents are from Toronto, Ontario. Her father is Catholic and her mother is Jewish. Bynes has described herself as Jewish; regarding her religious beliefs, Bynes has stated: “As far as religion, I was raised both. I learned about both Judaism and Catholicism. My parents said it was up to me to decide when I grew up. I’m sort of a spiritual person anyway. I haven’t decided yet on a religion. I don’t know yet exactly what I believe.” In 1993, Bynes attended a comedy camp, and began professionally acting at the age of seven, appearing in a television advertisement for Buncha Crunch candies. During her childhood, she also appeared on stage in versions of Annie, The Secret Garden, The Music Man, and The Sound of Music. Bynes became a regular cast member of Nickelodeon’s Figure It Out and All That. She was a regular cast member on All That for seasons three through six. She also starred in her own sketch comedy show, The Amanda Show (1999–2002). Bynes made her film debut in 2002’s modest box office success, Big Fat Liar. Her first leading role was in 2003’s What a Girl Wants, co-starring with Colin Firth, Oliver James, and Kelly Preston. From 2002 to 2006, Bynes starred alongside Jennie Garth in The WB Television Network’s sitcom What I Like About You. Bynes had voice parts in 2003’s Charlotte’s Web 2: Wilbur’s Great Adventure and 2005’s CGI animated comedy, Robots. She appeared in Arliss as Crystal Dupree. Bynes appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair’s July 2003 edition with nine of Hollywood’s other young female stars. Head shot of a smiling Bynes, a camera and people in the background. In 2006, Bynes starred in She’s the Man, a comedy based on William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Bynes appeared in another romantic comedy, Lovewrecked, which was shot before She’s the Man but released after it, showing in cinemas outside of the United States in 2005 and 2006 and debuting in the U.S. on the ABC Family network on January 21, 2007. She also portrays Penny Pingleton in Hairspray. Bynes next starred in another comedy, Sydney White, released on September 21, 2007.
In 2008, Bynes appeared in the Lifetime Television movie Living Proof as the student assistant of Harry Connick, Jr.’s character. Bynes was also originally set to star as Ryden Malby in the 2009 comedy Post Grad, but was replaced by Alexis Bledel. In June 2009, Bynes inked a two picture deal with Screen Gems. The first of the two movies was the 2010 teen comedy Easy A, starring Emma Stone and Lisa Kudrow, and the second was to have been a starring role. Bynes also planned to reprise her role as Penny Pingleton in the sequel to Hairspray. However, Hairspray 2 was canceled. Bynes was also originally set to star in the comedy Hall Pass but dropped out and was replaced by Alexandra Daddario. In June 2010, Bynes stated that she planned to retire from acting, announcing on her Twitter page, “I don’t love acting anymore, so I’ve stopped doing it.” A month later, Bynes had an apparent change of heart and “unretired”.
At the 2011 MTV Movie Awards, Bynes told People Magazine that she’s merely taking “time off.” In September 2012, Bynes said that she has once again retired from acting and would instead focus on launching her career as a fashion designer. In 2007, Bynes signed a five-year deal with Steve & Barry’s to create her own fashion line, Dear, consisting of apparel and accessories. The clothing line launched in stores August 16, 2007. The line was cut short when Steve & Barry’s filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2008 and went out of business completely in January 2009. Bynes appeared in lingerie on the cover of the February 2010 issue of Maxim magazine, highlighting her photo spread inside. She stated, “I think every shot … was sexy” and that the new look is “who I am.” Bynes started out at University Elementary, and later graduated from Thousand Oaks High School’s independent study program (though she attended La Reina High School, a private Catholic school in Thousand Oaks for some time). She has expressed a desire to attend New York University in the near future. She briefly moved into an apartment in Hollywood, California, but has since returned to her family home in Thousand Oaks. Bynes is interested in drawing and fashion design, having commented that she is “the girl whose biggest nightmare would be to lose my makeup bag while traveling.”
In 2007, Bynes spoke out against becoming another wild Hollywood star: “I think I’ll go out as much as I’ve ever gone out… which is not a lot. I like to dance and stuff, but drinking isn’t good for you in any way. It’s not good for your skin; it makes you feel horrible. So, drinking-wise, no”. She restated these ideas in interviews throughout the summer of 2007, telling Access Hollywood: “I like being with my family and friends, and I don’t need to be out at the clubs.” In an interview in December 2007, Bynes described how her parents taught her about alcohol.Bynes has since stated that she is “reevaluating” how to spend her social time. In the January 2009 issue of Cosmopolitan, she stated: “I used to be known as the girl who was anti the club scene. But I’m finding a balance. I can have a drink and dance if I want. You have to go out to meet people and guys. I’m in that phase where I just want to have fun.”According to reports, Bynes has permanently moved from Los Angeles to New York City to begin her fashion career. On March 7, 2012, Bynes was stopped by Los Angeles police for talking on her cell phone while driving. On April 6, 2012, Bynes was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after side-swiping a police car in West Hollywood at 3 a.m. Her bail was set at US$5,000, but she was released the next morning without being required to post bail. On June 5, 2012, Bynes was officially charged with driving under the influence. On September 4, 2012, Bynes was charged with hit-and-run related to leaving the scene of two separate accidents, one on April 10 and another on August 4, without providing proper information.On September 6, 2012, the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in California suspended Bynes’ driver’s license. DMV officials did not state a reason or when the suspension took effect. On September 16, Bynes had her black BMW officially impounded after driving with a suspended license.On September 18, 2012, Bynes faced a trial for a DUI in addition to the hit-and-run charges. On September 21, 2012, Bynes was charged with driving with a suspended license. On September 27, 2012, Bynes pled not guilty to two charges of hit-and-run. Her next court date was on October 19, 2012.
